I've finally had a chance to put together this DIY post from Ruche's first Spring lookbook. Sorry for the delay! Everything is extremely easy and can spruce up any plain wall in your home.
1. Floral wall made out of butcher paper
Stephanie got a roll of butcher paper and we were debating what do to with it. The night before the photo shoot, the Ruche team decided to make paper flowers and taped it to the wall. It was inspired by the book "paper chains and garlands" by June Gilbank that my husband picked up from Barnes and Nobles weeks before, hoping to one day use it..indeed we did! See instructions below.
We made different shaped and sized flowers out of butcher paper. For this particular wall, we covered the wall with butcher paper first, and then taped the flowers to it. This method could be used on a smaller scale and can be framed in a boxed picture frame too! You can also mix it up with different colored papers. BE CREATIVE!
2. Book paper mache wall
We picked up some used cheap paper back books at the thrift store. You don't necessary need old antique books, just books with pages with a yellow tint. (If you're wondering, we used Secret Garden, 3 Ninjas, and some other one. haha) We used a paint roller to roll "Sta-Fold" (liquid starch that use for iron clothes) all over the wall, stuck old book papers on wall, and rolled another coat of "Sta-fold". Work one section at a time. Wait for it to dry..and TADA!
To make the shelves out of books, you just pick a book you want to use as a shelf, put l-brackets through it, and screw it to the wall. Instead of stacking more books on it, you can substitute with pictures frames, vases, and more!
3. Natural Peel-able Wallpaper
You can make a cornstarch paste that can be used to paste fabric on your walls. The cool thing is that you can easily peel off the fabric and change it up. Recycle your fabric by putting it in the wash and you have the same fabric you started with.
Cornstarch paste is easy to make and works well for both wallpaper and papier mâché. Make one batch at a time to avoid lumps in the paste. For one gallon of paste, sift one cup of cornstarch into a large pot. Slowly add one gallon of hot tap water a little at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition of water with a wire whisk. Heat the mixture on medium high heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until it thickens and becomes clear. Let the paste cool to room temperature for use. Instructions take here and here . As for the bottom section, the boys (Stephanie's hubby and mine) looked up how to install wainscotting and went at it. It turned out great!
4. Antique looking wooden floors
Stephanie introduced me to milk paint and I love it. Looks like I'll be painting EVERYTHING with milk paint. If you want that old antique finish on your furniture, milk paint is an excellent solution.
For our lookbook, the boys made this floor out of 2x4 wood blocks and we painted it with "oyster white" milk paint.
Hope you enjoyed our DIY post. If you ever get to using any of these ideas, I'd LOVE to see pictures!!!
-Mai
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